Venue: Huish Park
Saturday September 17th, 3pm kick-off
Conditions: Sunny with a gentle breeze
Pitch: Heavily watered which made it slick but also cut up in places
Attendance: 2,672 (367 away supporters)
Scorers: Gime Toure 3 (1-0), Jamie Grimes 8 (1-1), Josh Staunton 80 (2-1), Jesurun Uchegbulam 87 (2-2)
Bookings:
Yeovil Town: Grant Smith 6, Matt Worthington 33, Jamie Reckord 90+5
Chesterfield: Tyrone Williams 43, Calvin Miller 63, Michael Gyasi 90+5
Referee: Elliot Swallow
Yeovil Town : (3-4-3)
Grant Smith
Owen Bevan Josh Staunton Ben Richards-Everton
Chiori Johnson Jamie Reckord
Matt Worthington Lawson D’Ath
Sam Pearson (for Finley Craske, 66)
Malachi Linton (for Charlie Wakefield, 76) Gime Toure
Substitutes: Morgan Williams, Max Hunt, Jake Scrimshaw.
Chesterfield: Covolan, King, Williams, Grimes, Horton, Oldaker, Banks, Mandeville, Clarke (for Gyasi, 70), Miller (for Uchegbulam 66), Quigley. Substitutes: Maguire, Cooper, Akinola.
Match Report
A late leveller three minutes from time saw Yeovil Town denied a win against league leaders Chesterfield in a thoroughly entertaining encounter at Huish Park.
It appeared that Glovers’ skipper Josh Staunton had earned all three points when he bundled home his first goal of the season on 80 minutes, but the visitors’ equalised after Yeovil switched off from a corner to allow substitute Jesurun Uchegbulam.
The equaliser was harsh on Chris Hargreaves’ men who had gone toe-to-toe with their big-spending opponents and been the better side for much of the match – sadly, two defensive lapses mean we are still looking for our second win of the National League season.
First half
Chiori Johnson and Gime Toure came in to the starting XI in place of the previously ever-present Morgan Williams and the out-of-sorts Charlie Wakefield, who both dropped to the bench alongside Finley Craske, who made his first appearance in a match day squad. Alex Fisher was not named in the squad having been given compassionate leave.
And Toure made the most of his call up after he did not give up on a ball over the top and took advantage of a mix-up between visiting keeper Lucas Covolan and Tyrone Williams. Covolan came a long way off his line and TOURE nicked the ball around goalkeeper and defender fired in to an unguarded net.
But, less than five minutes later the visitors equalised. Grant Smith bizarrely came a long way out of his box and gave away a completely unnecessary free-kick for a foul on ex-Glovers’ striker Joe Quigley. From the set piece, the visitors broke down the right and fired in an effort which Smith only parried straight to Chesterfield captain Jamie GRIMES who turned home an equaliser.
Soon after a Lawson D’Ath corner was sent over the bar by a diving header from Owen Bevan, but it was the visitors who dominated momentum after that goal showing the confidence of a team who had won their last four matches while Yeovil wobbled like a team who had won just once all season.
There was a bright spot on 19 minutes when Johnson’s beat his man and slotted a ball across through to Sam Pearson who could not make the most of the opportunity.
That sparked a bit of pressure from Yeovil with Josh Staunton firing an effort straight in to the ‘non-core land at Huish Park and moments later Johnson, who looked in the mood going forward down the right, found Linton, but the striker fired wide.
Having soaked up some pressure, it was the Glovers who were in the ascendancy as the game entered the final 15 minutes and the more than 250 youngsters brought to Huish Park by the Yeovil Town Community Sports Trust had plenty to shout about – and shout they did!
Five minutes before half-time Calvin Miller dragged a shot wide and minute before the break a low free-kick from Matt Worthington forced a good save out of Covolan.
Having been booed off the pitch at the end of their last outing on home soil, Yeovil were applauded off at the interval having taken the game to their lofty opponents for much of the half. Is this the ‘HargBall’ of which we’ve been told?
Half time: Yeovil Town 1 Chesterfield 1
Second half
The home side started brightly with Toure at the heart of everything that was good creating a good chance for Johnson on 52 minutes but his header did not have enough power to trouble Covolan.
A minute later, the visitors broke forward through Jack Clarke, who had an unsuccessful spell on loan at Huish Park last season, but his was denied by a superbly-timed tackle from Jamie Reckord and the ball dropped to Liam Mandeville whose shot was straight at Grant Smith.
Shortly after the hour mark, Pearson had a time effort in on goal and on 66 minutes he was replaced by Finley Craske, the versatile player on loan from Plymouth Argyle. It had been a frustrating afternoon for Pearson who was outmuscled by some of his more experienced opponents for much of this match.
Malachi Linton, who had another hard-working performance without finding the net, was replaced by Charlie Wakefield with 15 minutes remaining.
For all the disappointment of the past couple of weeks, this was a much improved performance from Yeovil and they deservedly regained the lead ten minutes from time. A Reckord corner from was met at the back post with a header back across goal which went through a crowd of bodies and Josh STAUNTON was there to turn it in – probably! No-one could really tell but the captain certainly claimed it.
But they were in the lead for just seven minutes as a defensive error saw a low corner was not picked up by the Glovers’ defence and the ball found its way to substitute winger Jesurun UCHEGBULAM who was unmarked to hammer home another leveller. Such frustration that two defensive lapses cost had undone an otherwise impressive performance from Yeovil.
Toure, who had been in the mood all afternoon, burst down the left in the next attack but his effort went over the bar.
Overall, a brilliant game which saw Yeovil go toe-to-toe with the league leaders. There were some ‘handbags’ at the end with a confrontation between Jamie Reckord and visitors’ substitute Michael Gyasi. Bookings handed out, but applause for Chris Hargreaves’ men at the final whistle.
First game I’ve got to this season and really enjoyed it. Partly because we sat in the sun (having spent 30 years in the cold of the terrace), but mostly because we played some good football. When you remember what league we’re in, you can’t expect much more entertainment than we got